Your membership allows you to participate in all of the activities and programs sponsored by our society. You will have the opportunity to learn about orchids, display your plants, and see what other members are growing. If you have any questions, be sure to ask -- our members are always willing to help you. Membership badges as well as San Gabriel Valley Orchid Hobbyists (SGVOH) Cookbooks and promotional Orchid growing items may be purchased at the Membership Table.

The general meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, Palm Room, 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California.

Guests are Welcome!    Map directions by MapBlast

Activities and Programs

Members Plant Viewing - 6:30 PM
SGVOH members may bring in orchid plants which they think are nice or interesting to exhibit. You will receive raffle tickets for each of them (Limit 10 tickets) for the current meeting. Visitors may not exhibit plants. Records are kept from December through October. Members will receive 1 raffle ticket for each month they bring in plants to exhibit. These tickets will be placed in a drawing at our Awards Banquet in November.

If you have a plant that you have had for less than 6 months, but you want to show off the beautiful blossoms, bring it in and display it on our NEW ARRIVALS table. These plants will not receive any raffle tickets.

Guest Speakers - 7:00 PM
At 7:00 PM each month the SGVOH has a guest speaker or Webinar, usually a well-known expert in some area of orchid growing. This speaker will present a program about his experiences with general orchid culture, origin of orchids, orchid shows, etc. There will be a brief biography of the guest speaker and a brief description of his presentation on the Home Page of our website. There are usually beautiful photos as part of the presentation. Visitors are welcome to attend the lectures.

Plant Opportunity Table (POT) Raffle
Members Only.
The Plant Opportunity Table (POT) is purchased by the SGVOH from either the guest speaker or an orchid nursery. The plant raffle is held after the general meeting and you will have the opportunity to win a plant. Each member displaying their membership badge will receive one free raffle ticket. Anyone who brings a contribution for the refreshment table receives a free ticket. Also, each exhibitor will receive a free ticket for each plant exhibited, and each judge will receive one free ticket. You must go to the ticket table to receive your tickets. Raffle tickets may be purchased by members only, the cost of which is posted at the ticket table. This is a very good way to increase your collection.

Tickets are generally drawn first for refreshment providers, second for judges, third for display and fourth for membership. Purchased raffle tickets are then drawn until all the plants have been claimed. The winner must be present to claim a prize.

Silent Auction
Member Only.
Up to five orchid plants (or orchid related items) per membership (husband and wife or family is one membership) may be placed on the auction table. Fill out one of the small forms or bidding sheets which you will find on the auction table, one for each plant, stating the plant name, asking price and the seller's name, if you are donating the plant/item print SGVOH as the seller.  The seller receives his asking price, and the amount over that goes to the SGVOH.

To buy a plant, print your name and your bid on the bidding sheet. The first bid must be $2.00 more than the asking price. Subsequent bids must be for $1.00 or more. At the close of the auction the chairman will blow a whistle and if you are the highest bidder, take the plant and the bidding sheet to the cashier. There will be many excellent plants that will sell for a reasonable price. The silent auction serves as a fund raiser for our society. All members are encouraged to participate both to aid the society and to share valuable divisions and seedlings with other orchid growers.

Refreshments
Including light snacks, Coffee and cold drinks are offered by the Society and its members.

Shows, Sales and Events
From time to time the SGVOH participates in orchid shows and plant sales. The members volunteer their time and/or material to make these events successful. These events offer the opportunity to see new and unusual specimens and are an excellent opportunity to obtain good plants at a reasonable cost.

During the year there may be events held such as "visitations" to other members' greenhouses to share their growing techniques. And picnics has been held at Zuma Canyon Orchids in Malibu in early Spring.

Annual Banquet
At the November meeting we hold a pot-luck dinner. The annual awards for members bringing in Plant each month. . Also, the Hester Hulme Memorial Service Award may also be presented. Details of this award are outlined in the Membership Roster.